U.S. patent number 7,032,745 [Application Number 11/022,642] was granted by the patent office on 2006-04-25 for dosing cap for powders or liquids.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Liteco S.R.L.. Invention is credited to Lorenzo Saulle.
United States Patent |
7,032,745 |
Saulle |
April 25, 2006 |
Dosing cap for powders or liquids
Abstract
A dosing cap (1) for powders or liquids including an outer body
(2) designed to be inserted into the neck of the container to which
the cap (1) is applied and an inner body (3) of a substantially
cylindrical shape, which contains the powder or liquid, is mobile
inside the outer body (2), and is designed to break the sealing
membrane (5) of the dosing cap (1) in response to an axial pressure
exerted on its top part. Housed in the inner body (3) is a body
(4), preferably cylindrical in shape, which is adjacent to the
internal surface of the inner body (1) and is designed to break the
sealing membrane (5) of the dosing cap (1) in response to an axial
pressure exerted on its top part. Preferably the body (4) is fixed
to the sealing membrane (5) of the dosing cap (1).
Inventors: |
Saulle; Lorenzo (Carpiano,
IT) |
Assignee: |
Liteco S.R.L.
(IT)
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Family
ID: |
34566918 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/022,642 |
Filed: |
December 28, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20050139622 A1 |
Jun 30, 2005 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Dec 30, 2003 [IT] |
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MI2003A2619 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/219;
222/83 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
51/2842 (20130101); G01F 11/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
25/08 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;222/83 ;206/219 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Derakshani; Philippe
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rothwell, Figg, Ernst &
Manbeck, PC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dosing cap (1) for powder or liquid comprising an outer body
(2)--designed to be inserted into the neck of a container (10) to
which the cap containing the powder or liquid (1) is applied--and
an inner body (3), which mobile within the outer body (2), said cap
being characterized in that housed in the inner body (3) is a body
(4), adjacent to the internal surface of the inner body (3),
designed to break the sealing membrane (5) of the dosing cap (1) in
response to an axial pressure exerted on the top part of the inner
body (3).
2. The dosing cap (1) of claim 1, wherein the body (4) is fixed to
the sealing membrane (5) of the dosing cap (1).
3. The dosing cap (1) of claim 1, wherein the body (4) is fixed to
the top part of the inner body (3).
4. The dosing cap (1) of claim 1, wherein the body (4) is a
cylindrical body.
5. The dosing cap (1) of claim 1, wherein the outer body (2), the
body (4) and the sealing membrane (5) are formed by a single body
made of a plastic material.
6. The dosing cap (1) of claim 5, wherein the single body
comprising the outer body (2), the body (4) and the sealing
membrane (5) has an area of pre-set breaking (7) of the sealing
membrane (5) set between the edge of the outer body (2) and that of
the body (4).
7. The dosing cap (1) of claim 1, wherein also the inner body (3)
is made of a plastic material.
8. The dosing cap (1) of claim 1, wherein it comprises a plurality
of compartments (6) made in the internal wall of the outer body (2)
and designed to set the inside of the container (10) in
communication with the outside environment after breaking of the
sealing membrane (5).
9. The dosing cap (1) of claim 8, wherein the compartments (6) are
uniformly distributed along the periphery of the internal wall of
the outer body (2).
10. The dosing cap (1) of claim 1, wherein it further comprises a
dispensing element (8), which can be applied to the neck of the
container (10) on top of the dosing cap (1).
11. The dosing cap (1) of claim 10, wherein the dispensing element
(8) is fixed to a threaded area (9) present on the neck of the
container (10).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dosing cap containing a powder
or a liquid to be mixed, exclusively at the moment of its use, with
a liquid contained in the container (normally a bottle or a flask)
to which the cap is applied.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART
The above dosing caps are widely used, in particular in the
pharmaceutical sector, for keeping one (more) easily degradable
component, contained in the cap, separate from a second (more)
stable component, contained in the container, until the moment of
use.
With explicit reference to the pharmaceutical field, if an active
principle (for example an antibiotic or a vitamin complex) is
(more) easily degradable when it is dissolved in the component
contained in the flask, it is a common procedure to contain said
active principle in the cap in a (more) stable form (for example,
in the form of a liquid or powder) and to mix it, at the moment of
use, with the component contained in the flask, breaking a membrane
that seals the cap.
In known dosing caps, the component contained in the cap is set
inside a body having a substantially cylindrical shape, which is
mobile within the body of the cap inserted in the neck of the
container; by exerting a pressure on the (substantially)
cylindrical body, its bottom edge breaks the sealing membrane
causing the contents of the cap to drop into the liquid present in
the container.
In known dosing caps, the bottom edge of the (substantially)
cylindrical body has an inclined profile, like the mouthpiece of a
flute, which presents the drawback of breaking off at least part of
the sealing membrane of the cap, causing the broken part to drop
into the liquid contained in the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a dosing cap
which is free from the aforesaid drawback. Said purpose is achieved
according to the invention by providing a dosing cap which presents
the characteristics described herein.
Further characteristics of the invention will emerge more clearly
from the ensuing detailed description with reference to some
embodiments thereof, which are provided purely by way of example
and hence are non-limiting; they are illustrated in the annexed
plate of drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a see-through view of a
dosing cap made according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the cap of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows the cap of FIG. 1 sectioned according to the plane
A--A of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration, at an enlarged scale, of the
detail highlighted in FIG. 3; and
FIGS. 5 and 6 are, respectively, an exploded side view and an
exploded perspective view of a possible variant of the cap of FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the attached figures, corresponding elements will be designated
by the same reference numbers.
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a see-through view of a
dosing cap made according to the present invention, designated as a
whole by 1.
The cap 1 comprises an outer body 2--designed to be inserted into
the neck of the container 10 (FIGS. 5 and 6) to which the cap 1 is
applied--and an inner body 3, which contains the powder or liquid
(omitted in the attached figures for reasons of simplicity of
graphic representation) and which is axially mobile within the
outer body 2.
Housed inside the inner body 3 is a body 4 (more clearly visible in
the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3), which is adjacent to the
internal surface of the inner body 3 and is designed to break, in
response to an axial pressure exerted on the top part of the inner
body 3, the sealing membrane 5 of the dosing cap 1 (FIG. 3),
enabling the powder or liquid contained in the cap 1 to drop into
the liquid contained in the container 10.
In the preferred embodiment described herein, the body 4 is a
cylindrical body but, without departing from the scope of the
invention, the body 4 may have the cross section deemed in each
case to be most advantageous for meeting the specific needs.
On account of the eccentric position of the body 4, the sealing
membrane 5 is not separated completely from the outer body 2, to
which it remains connected in the (strengthened) area diametrally
opposite to that on which the body 4 acts: it is thus obtained that
at least part of the membrane 5 is prevented from possibly dropping
into the container 10 to which the cap 1 is applied.
In the preferred embodiment described herein, the body 4 is fixed
to the sealing membrane 5 of the dosing cap 1 but, without
departing from the scope of the invention, the body 4 may be fixed
to the top part of the inner body 3. In this latter case, it is
advisable to provide means, set within the inner body 3 and
adjacent to the sealing membrane 5, designed to keep the body 4 in
position.
Advantageously, the outer body 2, the sealing membrane 5, and the
body 4 are formed by a single body made of a plastic material.
Advantageously, also the inner body 3 is made of a plastic
material.
FIG. 2 shows a view from above of the cap 1. Visible in FIG. 2 is a
plurality of compartments 6 (only one of which is identified by the
corresponding reference number for simplicity of graphic
representation), made in the internal wall of the outer body
2--along the periphery of which they are uniformly distributed--and
designed to set the inside of the container 10 in communication
with the outside environment after breaking of the sealing membrane
5, enabling the contents of the container 10 to be assumed without
having to remove the cap 1.
FIG. 3 shows the cap 1 sectioned according to the plane A--A of
FIG. 2. Visible in FIG. 3 are the outer body 2, the inner body 3,
inside which the body 4 and the sealing membrane 5 of the cap 1 are
present.
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration, at an enlarged scale, of the
detail highlighted in FIG. 3, from which it emerges that the single
body, which comprises the outer body 2, the sealing membrane 5, and
the body 4, has an area of pre-prepared breaking 7 of the sealing
membrane 5, set between the edge of the outer body 2 and that of
the body 4.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show, respectively, an exploded side view and an
exploded perspective view of a possible variant of the cap forming
the subject of the present invention, which differs from the one
illustrated in the previous figures basically on account of the
fact that it further comprises a dispensing element 8 which can be
applied to the neck of the container 10 on top of the dosing cap
1.
Preferably, the dispensing element 8 is fixed to a threaded area 9
present on the neck of the container 10.
Said dispensing element 8 enables the contents of the container 10
to be assumed more easily, said contents coming out of the seats 6
after the membrane 5 has been broken.
The above embodiment of the cap 1 can advantageously be used in
combination with a container 10 formed by a drinking bottle or the
like: the contents of the cap 1 (for example, an energy beverage or
an integrator of mineral salts) are dissolved in the liquid present
in the flask 10, and the liquid thus enriched, coming out from the
seats 6 and the dispensing element 8, can be assumed.
Without departing from the scope of the invention, a person skilled
in the art can make to the cap forming the subject of the present
invention all the modifications and improvements suggested by his
own experience and by the natural evolution of techniques.
* * * * *